Frying is a technique of cooking food using oil. Through frying, food is rapidly cooked, resulting in a characteristic crispness and texture. Frying also results in the oil penetrating the food to varying degrees adding its own flavor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,875 (“'875 patent”) discloses a compact food frying machine. The compact food frying machine is comprised of a vertically-oriented U-shaped pan for holding heated liquid, an endless belt for carrying food items, guiding elements, a feeding position and an unloading position. The '875 patent discloses that the endless belt is driven by pulley wheels that are operably connected to a motor through a drive belt.
However, the compact food frying machine disclosed in the '875 patent has several disadvantages. First, manufacturing a machine with so many mechanical components may increase the cost. Second, it is relatively complex in construction and/or operation. Third, with so many mechanical parts the operation cost may increase due to scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance requirements. Fourth, it may be more prone to operational failure than a non-mechanized food fryer.